Japanese variety described as ‘exquistiely graceful’

Close-up of peony flower, Hyogo Prefecture.

Q: Last month, I saw a most unusual peony in a friend’s garden. At least, I think it was a peony. The flowers had a puffy centre filled with what seemed to be stamen-like structures, surrounded by a collar of single petals. My friend inherited the plant when she bought the property.

A: Your friend’s flower is a Japanese peony. These peony blooms consist of a row or more of single petals surrounding a large centre tuft of many stamenoids, usually in striking colour combinations.

Ferncliff Gardens in Mission, a source for dahlias and peonies, describes Japanese peonies as “exquisitely graceful, and as cut flowers stunning in arrangements”. You and your friend can see more of them at ferncliffgardens.com.

Q: Is there an easy way for dealing with the arbutus leaves that drop constantly on my garden and driveway?

A: Arbutus leaf shedding is a hot topic currently, with the dry weather and gusts of wind dropping the leaves all over. My garden is littered with them, from two huge trees next door.

Because the topic of arbutus leaf shedding comes up often, I’ve heard of various ways to deal with it.

A happily efficient method is simply to use a blower to move the dried, dropped leaves onto the lawn. When it is mowed, the leaves are chopped up nicely and mixed in with the mowings to create a good carbon-nitrogen blend.

Dried leaves are a high carbon material, while grass mowings are rich in nitrogen. Mix the leaf-grass blend into working compost heaps or place them in shallow layers around moisture-needy plantings. Lay the mulch after the plants have been deeply watered. Either use will result in nourished soils.

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